BS: Hurricane Rita, Mother Nature, & FEMA

Subject: RE: BS: Hurricane Rita, Mother Nature, & FEMA
From: Susu's Hubby
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 04:48 PM

The problem with trying to tie any weather event with global warming is that:

1.) These cycles have been occuring for thousands of years.

2.) We only have about 100 years or less of weather records to try and determine what those cycles are.


There's just not near enough information. Therefore, there will be a huge statistical margin of error to contend with if you're trying to tie one with the other.


In fact, I remember that back in the 70's, scientists were trying to make the case for "global cooling".

I think they're just trying to make the case for their own job security other than trying to figure other secrets that really matter, such as, why does bubble gum lose it's flavor or why don't motorcycles have doors?


Hubby

Subject: RE: BS: Hurricane Rita, Mother Nature, & FEMA
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 03:51 PM

Whether global warming has anything to do with it is debatable. It's mainly due to a cyclical phenomenon known as the Atlantic heat conveyor. It's important to note that while the number of Atlantic storms is up, the number of Pacific and Indian Ocean storms is actually down. If it were strictly a function of global warming one would expect to see equally increased activity in all oceans.

Subject: RE: BS: Hurricane Rita, Mother Nature, & FEMA
From: GUEST,rarelamb
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 03:43 PM

-I believe it's the 4th busiest on record.

-And if I remember Galvenston had the worst hurricane disaster in teh US.

-I don't believe that we are experiencing man made global warming.

-David Paulison is the interim FEMA director.

Subject: RE: BS: Hurricane Rita, Mother Nature, & FEMA
From: Alice
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 03:30 PM

The Gulf of Mexico is warmer than usual this year, but the US does get tropical storms and hurricanes every year. Warmer water in the gulf feeds the intensity of any storm or hurricane that moves across it.

Subject: BS: Hurricane Rita, Mother Nature, & FEMA
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 03:24 PM

Is Mother Nature going to sock it to the US Gulf states again?

See these excerpts from a Reuters UK article about [currently]category 2 Hurricane Rita:

"Rita grew from a tropical storm to a hurricane with 85 mph (136 mph) winds as it battered the fragile Keys. All 80,000 residents had been ordered out of the island chain but many stayed behind in boarded-up homes as stormwater submerged parts of the only highway linking them to the Florida mainland.

The hurricane was expected to strengthen further as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico where deadly Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc three weeks ago....


Texas seemed the most likely target for Rita's second strike, but Louisiana would still get the outer bands of the storm during the weekend.

A Louisiana official warned that levees in New Orleans, where hundreds died in Katrina's floods, would fail again if the city were smashed by a new storm surge. Major Ray Nagin suspended plans for some residents to return to the devastated city.

Oil companies only starting to recover from Katrina evacuated Gulf oil rigs. Private forecasters said there was a 40 percent chance that damaging hurricane-force winds would directly affect major Gulf energy production areas.

The Navy began moving its remaining fleet of Katrina relief vessels, including the hospital ship Comfort, away from the Gulf Coast to ride out any potential battering from Rita.

The 1,100 Hurricane Katrina refugees still in Houston's two mass shelters faced another evacuation on Tuesday as the city found itself in the possible path of Rita. They were to be sent to Fort Chafee, Arkansas...."

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?

-snip-

Here are my questions to Mudcat scientists & other Mudcat posters: are there more big hurricanes than usual hitting the USA this year, and if so, does global warming have anything to do with this?

My third question is if this hurricane really hits Galveston, Texas or Houston, Texas or wherever, who is in charge of FEMA?